Genuine pluralism and a strong loyal voice

With the United States Supreme Court considering whether or not to legalize same-sex marriage and the numerous inflammatory comments in the media (and from celebrities) surrounding those who advocate for the traditional view of marriage, it’s easy for the Christian to be discouraged.

Or worse, to give in to the pressure and say, “Well, this is the way the world is, so we may as well go along with it.”

But, weary brothers and sisters, this is not the way to go.

For all our talk of living in a pluralistic culture, we’re anything but. The new “tolerance” seeks to eradicate dissension from the party line (Denny Burk illustrates this well here). But a healthy society—one where genuine pluralism and exchange of ideas exists—requires a strong voice, one loyal to his or her convictions. D.A. Carson explains it well:

Genuine pluralism within the broader culture is facilitated when there is a strong Christian voice loyal to the Scriptures – as well as strong Muslim voices, skeptical voices, Buddhist voices, atheistic voices, and so forth. Genuine pluralism within the broader culture is not fostered when in the name of tolerance none of the voices can say that any of the others is wrong, and when this stance is the only ultimate virtue.

Because the new tolerance, an ostensibly value-free tolerance, has become the dominant religion among media leaders, this vision is constantly reinforced. For instance, the media may present popes such as John Paul II and Benedict XVI in a positive light, provided these popes are restricting themselves to ceremony or world poverty, but if they show how their beliefs impinge on social issues such as premarital and extramarital sex, abortion, homosexuality, and euthanasia, then they must be bigoted, out of date, slightly bizarre, even dangerous, and certainly intolerant.

If being loyal to your faith is intolerant, be willing to be labeled intolerant—a healthy culture won’t survive without men and women who are committed to their beliefs, regardless of the consequences. The pressure to be silent is great, but the culture surrounding us needs a strong, loyal Christian voice more than it needs us to go with the flow.